Industry News
It has been a slow start to the ski season in the Pacific Northwest. It looked promising when two feet of snow fell on Mt. Hood at the beginning of December. However, that was quickly squashed by an atmospheric river that dropped over seven inches of rain. The rain decimated the snowpack, leaving the snow more brown than white.
Another foot of snow came to the mountain a week later allowing Mt. Hood Meadows to open for its first day of the season on December 9. But again, another warm-up brought rain the next day and forced the resort to shut down again. The closure is scheduled through at least Wednesday, December 13, to allow patrol to assess the snowpack.
It is not just Meadows that has had a less than ideal start to the season. Nearby, Timberline Lodge, is only running one lift, and Skibowl, located at a lower elevation on Mt. Hood, hasn’t even considered opening yet. Mt. Bachelor, in Central Oregon, has stayed open, but with limited terrain on a 26-inch snow base. Other resorts around Washington and Idaho have also had delayed openings or are operating on a limited basis.
To make matters worse, the forecast doesn’t look promising. In the short term, there is continued warming with little to no precipitation and no snow is forecasted in the next 10 days. Long-term forecasts can change, and there may be a return to snow the weekend before Christmas.
Skiers and snowboarders in the region are getting frustrated. Thanksgiving weekend is a typical opening time and I have personally had a legitimate powder day on November 1 before. For now, it’s not looking great, but we hope the fortunes change soon.
